03 November 2012

By Al-Ikhwah Al-Mujahidun

CILACAP, Indonesia - Although he been transferred by force and inhumanely from the cell of Bareskrim Police HQ, Jakarta on Friday 5th October 2012, it does not make Ustadz Abu Bakar Ba'asyir recede from conducting da'wah.

From behind the iron bars of Batu Nusakambangan Prison, the elderly ulama' sent a message to the Islamic ummah. The following is the brief message of Ustadz Abu Bakar Ba'asyir about the hikmah (wisdom) of 'Eidul Adha 1433 H which was exclusively received by the editorial desk of voa-islam.com.

The Essence of Qurban is Implementing Al-Wala wal Bara'

A lesson to be learned from this 'Eidul Adha, we go back to the history of the story of Prophet Ibrahim Alaihis Salam, refered by Allah as millah Ibrahim, which we are commanded to follow.

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفاً وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

"Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allah." (Q.S. An-Nahl: 123)

In fact, Allah says that those who depart from millah Ibrahim are ignorant people.

وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلاَّ مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ

"And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself…" (Q.S. Al-Baqarah: 130)

Millah ibrahim has two characteristics; namely Al Wala' wal Bara'. This is the lesson provided in millah ibrahim. Wala' means being loyal, to love, to defend. So when already commanded by Allah we must be loyal, we must love, whatever form of order it is. Although it seemed cruel, if Allah orders, sami'na wa atha'na (we hear and we obey).

An example of loyalty in the first millah Ibrahim is when Prophet Ibrahim was instructed to leave his wife, who had just given birth to a baby, in a barren region that had no vegetation.

رَبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنْتُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ

"Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House…" (Q.S. Ibrahim: 37)

According to common sense, they could die, they were only given the stock of a few days. But since it was the commandment of Allah, so sami'na wa atha'na, thus they were left there.

When his wife asked; O Prophet Ibrahim why do you leave us here? Prophet Ibrahim replied that it was the commandment of Allah. Eventually it was from here that we have Zam-zam water, and then the commandment of sa'i from Shafa to Marwa.

And then the second wala' was when his son had grown up, able to help his father in building the Ka'bah, his ahlaq was good, his look was also good. Which father does not love such a child? The only child who would later become a Prophet, i.e. Ismail.

Then came the commandment again; slaughter your son! Since this is Allah's command, sami'na wa atha'na. It's in the Qur'an:

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ

"And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast."" (Q.S. As-Saffat: 102)

So to the moment when he was really going to be slaughtered after being laid down, Angel Gabriel replaced Ismail with a sheep.

So the hikmah of qurban here is, we must be ready to make sacrifices to carry out the wala'. If it is the commandment of Allah, whatever the sacrifices, sami'na wa atha'na. Even if according to common sense, this commandment would cause me to die, as long as there is power I will do it. Basically, the commands of Allah should be good, there is no commandment of Allah that is harmful.

And then the second one is bara'. In confronting munkar, Prophet Ibrahim was not divided, as in surah Al-Mumtahanah:

قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآَءُ مِنْكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ

"There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah . We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone" ..." (Q.S. Al-Mumtahanah: 4)

So in the issue of confronting shirk, there is no peace. Even Prophet Ibrahim had destroyed the idols even though it was his goal to conduct Da'wah. The huge idol was not destroyed, and then he draped his axe was around its neck.

So if we know we must be like that too, if we know there's a place of shirk we can destroy it. That was the wala wal bara' of Prophet Ibrahim.

As this is millah ibrahim, so Prophet Muhammad also practiced it. Prophet Muhammad was also accused harshly by the people of Quraysh. The ibaadah of the Quraish of worshiping idols had already existed since the time of their ancestors, then all they know it was opposed by Prophet Muhammad, without compromise. Causing Abu Jahal to propose so that we soften, cooperate; worship Allah according to our religion for certain years and vice versa, thus surah Al-Kafirun was revealed.

So the contents of the millah ibrahim are two; wala wal bara', this is what we were told to practice. Therefore, the 'Eidul Adha is not just sacrificing goats, because what's accepted is the taqwa.

The most important is qurban in the framework of carrying out wala' wal bara' because both require sacrifices, this is the essence of the 'Eidul Adha i.e. to perform millah ibrahim.

In the translation of the Qur'an it was only translated as religion, it was not explained what it means. Whereas, the essence of the millah ibrahim is Al Wala Wal Bara'.